CBI report sought on charges of torture in Bansal's suicide note

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday sought a report from the CBI within 72 hours on the charges of torture in the suicide of former government official B K Bansal and his family.

Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports indicating that mental and physical torture by CBI officials led to the suicide, the NHRC asked CBI director Anil Sinha to share a copy of the suicide notes and send a report on the action taken within three days. The NHRC also wanted the CBI director to provide the names of the “delinquent public servants” mentioned in the suicide notes as well as reveal the identity of the CBI personnel whose names are not mentioned.

“The commission observed that the police are  supposed to investigate the offences as per the law in a scientific manner by carrying out investigations in a human rights-friendly way. They cannot be allowed to resort to physical assault, mental and physical torture of an alleged offender or his family members. It is supposed to be a protector and defender of human rights,” an NHRC statement said.

“Therefore, it fully endorses the reported statement made by B K Bansal in the suicide note to the effect that even if he was at fault in the case, why were his wife and daughter pushed to suicide?” the statement added.

Bansal, a former director general in the ministry of corporate affairs, committed suicide along with son Yogesh on Tuesday two months after his wife and daughter took their own lives. Bansal was arrested on July 16 on charges of accepting  a bribe. In his suicide note, he had claimed that CBI investigators, including a DIG, mentally and physically tortured him and his family. The NHRC statement extensively quoted from the suicide notes of Bansal and his son.